The Hunt
by Wildhero
Summary: Tony tells the story of how he met his mate Loki. Includes Alpha/Omega pack dynamics.
1. The Introduction

You know, living in a confined tower with nothing but Alphas isn't as bad as one would think. In fact, it kinda made everything a little easier. You never had to wonder if someone was going to wash the dishes or take out the garbage because everyone wanted to prove themselves. They needed to know they were needed, and that is how this all started.

It was two years after Loki's impromptu visit to Manhattan. You know New Yorkers. Forgive and forget. So basically, everyone has forgiven Loki after they heard he was being mind controlled by the Mad Titan, Thanos. Even Clint has pretty much forgiven the trickster. And that is saying something. Back to the point, Loki is forgiven and so on and so forth. Everyone knows that.

What everyone doesn't know is Loki currently lives in Manhattan. Yeah, he actually lives in the place he tried to control. Strange. Or at least I thought so.

Wait. Did I forget to introduce myself again. God, Pepper would have my head. My name is Tony Stark. I just assume everyone knows me. I mean, is that wrong to assume?

"Tony! Where did you go?"

Crap, I forgot to throw another one out. Or, better put, have Pepper throw another one out. Eh, she'll get the point.

Anyways, wait where was I? Oh yeah, Loki lives in Manhattan. I would have never known if I hadn't let Pepper convince me to pick up coffee for the...um, other people I was having that huge, important meeting with. So I had to pick a different coffee shop to go to because the coffee at my normal shop is $12 a cup. Pepper would NOT accept that so I went to this off the street shop that looked reliable enough. I walked in and ordered while I pulled my wallet out only to look up and see the crazy green not blue eyes of none other than Loki. While I gaped, he put the order through and asked for the cash.

Sometimes I wonder what really made me go in that store. It had none of the usual requirements that allows me to eat at any given restaurant. As I look back, I tend to blame it on my Alpha instincts.

I mean, as I stated earlier, I live with some of New York's most eligible bachelors. Thor, Steve, Clint, and Bruce. They are all mated except for Bruce. Thor has Jane Foster and they have been together for about three years now. Steve has Pepper, yes Pepper, and they are a pretty new couple but everyone knows they'll be fine. Clint obviously has Natasha. I was, frankly, surprised when they mated because I thought Natasha was an Alpha. That leaves me and Bruce. Poor, poor Bruce. He's a considerate Alpha. No sex before mating type of thing. That's not my style. He's had to live with me being me for a while now.

So walking into that store that day, which happened to be Loki's first day working there AND it happened that Loki got a spontaneous heat just that day. Definitely Alpha instincts. As I'm sure you know, the only person that can smell an Omega's heat is their future mate. And by God could I smell it. It was the most fragrant thing ever. My mouth was watering and my instincts were screaming at me "Take him. Make him yours" but my reason was positively defining it. Sex while an Omega was in heat is something they crave usually but Loki looked fine. I figured at the time I had my signs wrong so I paid, took my coffee and left.

At the office, I greeted Pepper with the coffee and gave my usual smirk and she responded by lifting an exquisitely trimmed eyebrow and said "You positively reek of someone. Who's lawyers do I need to call?"

"What? What do you mean?'

"Oh, cut the crap Tony. I've known you longer than most. I can tell when you don't smell like you. So who do you smell like?'

"Um, no one. I don't know what you are talking about. I went to get your coffee and I ran into, believe it or not, Loki and-"

"That's who! Oh my God, Tony! Did you sleep with Loki?"

"WHAT! No! We exchanged like four words max and that's it! And how do you know what Loki smells like?"

"A good guess. Is it? And why do you have his scent wrapped all around you?"

"Probably. It makes the most sense. Good question Pep."

Later that day, after all the pointless meetings and sitting at my desk, signing contracts I don't even bother to read anymore, I went home and sat down with a glass of scotch and thought about something. Why do I smell like Loki? So I did the only thing I could think of. Ask Jarvis.

"Hey J, I've got a question for you."

"I'd be happy to answer that for you sir."

"Could you give me a quick lowdown on what happens between a newly discovered pair of mates?"

"Absolutely sir. According to several sites, when a pair of mates first discovers one another, they will not notice anything at first, but soon, there will be an insatiable urge to continue to see each other and once the Omega goes into heat, the Alpha will sense the smell and finish the new bond by having sex with the Omega. Does this answer your question sir?"

"Not necessarily, no. "

"I'm sorry sir. What is your question?"

"What reason would there be for me to smell like some other person's scent?"

"Well, sir. There are various reasons. The most popular reasons are intercourse, a bond, and desire."

"What was that last one?"

"Desire, sir. When there is a pair of future mates and they just met, the Alpha usually absorbs some of the Omega's scent to repel any other Omega's. After this happens, there is no Omega that is attracted to said Alpha."

"Great. Just fucking great. It had to be Loki that my screwed up body would be made to be compatible with."

Jarvis was right. Pretty soon, Loki was all I could think about. His eyes, his smile, his voice, his hair, his...well everything. I know it sounds cliche, but it couldn't be truer. It took four words and a look into his eyes and my world crumpled. It's been a week since the coffee incident and everyday got a little more painful. Mentally and physically, it felt like something was pulling. Until one day, the pain became absolutely unbearable. I went to the coffee shop to face my fears and talk to Loki only to find out he wasn't there.

"Hey, there's a guy who works here, Loki. Do you know where I could find him?"

"Um, there is no 'Loki' who works here. Sorry mate."

"Okaayy, sure. Thanks. Bye."

"Oh, hey To-"

"Hey Pepper. I need to borrow your computer now."

"Why don't you just use yours?"

"You see, my office is twenty stories up and I have neither the time nor patience to wait in an elevator."

"What's the hurry for?"

"Loki. I need to find where he lives now."

"Okay. I have to say I wasn't expecting that. Why?"

I turned from the computer currently using nine different satellites and various GPS systems to track a certain mischief god to look at Pepper in the face and sincerely say, "I have no idea," and then proceded to tell her the full story.

"Oh my God Tony that's great! Honestly, I didn't ever think you would find your mate. I wa-"

"Let's not use that word, okay? Okay."

"What word?Mates?"

"Yep. That's the one."

"Why not. That's obviously what you and Loki are."

"No. No we are not. We are nothing."

"Nothing. Got it."

The computer made a ding and I turned around, maybe a little faster than usual but that was a coincidence, and Tony wrote down Loki's home address and bolted out of the door and jumped into his Maserati. The house wasn't too far from the office. Somewhere in the back of his mind he said that that was convenient but he quickly shushed it.

He had to go find his ma- Loki. He had to go find Loki.


	2. The Scout

I'm breaking all sorts of laws driving down the streets but all the coppers stop their high-speed chase as soon as the see the STARK license plate.

It took me six minutes to get to the blasted apartment complex, which is too damn long in my opinion. The entire trip there I felt like my innards were going to spontaneously combust. I'm eighty eight percent sure someone lit a fire in my stomach and the closer I got to the cursed apartment complex, the fire intensified. It got so bad when I got there, that I had to refrain myself from crawling the last two fights of stairs. Tony Stark does not crawl.

When I got to the door, 4F, I was leaning against the wall a little too heavily and knocked a little too weakly. I knocked again and again and finally, I thought the knocking was loud enough to be heard by someone other than a dog. I waited about thirty long seconds before Loki came to the door, drenched in sweat.

"Hey Loki. I just ca-" was all I got to say before his lips were crashed into his. He was moaning and all we were doing was kissing.

Wait. I am definitely not supposed to be kissing Loki of all people. I pulled away and he stopped and looked into my eyes and begged.

"Please, Man of Iron. I need this. I need you."

Anndd there goes all of my chances to get out of this. You see, as an Alpha, all I've ever wanted was to be needed by my Omega. It's really all any Alpha wants. But I made a pact with myself that if I ever stumble upon an Omega in heat, which everyone can see the signs but only their Alpha can smell, then I under no circumstance would engage in any sexual activity. An Omega's heat lasts about two weeks. The first three days or so are tolerable. They can function but most of the time Omegas get prepared for the rest of their heat. It's the last six days of their heat that are absolutely unbearable without some sort of penetration. It gets better if they have their Alpha there in the room. So, and this is just a theory, if Loki was just starting his heat in the coffee shop then it would make sense that his heat is in the more intense stage right now.

While I was in my mind pondering over what to do, Loki was sucking at my neck and groping me through my pants.

I've decided to do the more responsible thing and not to let this go too far, too soon. If they truly are mates then they will be together soon enough. This is not the way I wanted to meet my mate.

"Whoa there tiger. Calm yourself. Go sit over on the bed."

An Omega in heat is much more...responsive then any other time. This is probably why Loki didn't even question my words and go and sat down on the bed. He trusts me.

I took off my shirt and went over to the bed and did the same to Loki. Obviously, he got the wrong idea and went to take off his pants as well.

"No. Those stay on. There are going to be rules here. One, pants stay on at all times. Two, you can kiss me and you can touch me and you can touch yourself, but you have to stay away from my crotch. Capiche?"

Loki was too far gone to give a spoken answer but he managed a weak nod. He looked so sad at my words that it almost broke my heart.

"Listen to me. It's not that I don 't want you. Trust me, I do. It's that I don't want this to be something you regret later. I don't want you to look at me like I took advantage of you. I don't know how far along in your heat you are," and that is when it hit him. Loki isn't even from Earth. He has no idea how long these heats last or what they consist of. He could be here for weeks. "or for that matter, how long they last. If we are truly mates, then we are going to start off with me pounding you into the matress." Loki moaned at those words but he still didn't move from his spot on the other side of the bed. Not until I said it was okay and didn't that send desire straight to where it shouldn't be going.

"Come here, Loki. I'll stay with you until you are sane enough to kick me out."

That was all it took until there was a very heavy god lying on top of me sucking at my face. Kissing was something I could do. It wasn't even that sexual anymore.

We kissed until Loki exhausted himself, clearly seeing I wasn't going to give in on what I said, and then he curled up in a ball against my chest and fell asleep.

I woke up the next day to Loki's mouth exactly where it shouldn't be.

"Hey! HEY! Yeah you! No touchy my junkie, remember? Off, now."

As expected, Loki obeyed and sat very still while I pulled my pants up and put my belt back on. When I finished I looked up at Loki, ready to yell at him for breaking both rules when I noticed he was crying. Yep, you heard me. The infamous trickster God from Asgard was sitting on his bed in a heap softly weeping.

"Loki," I said softly as I moved over to where he was lying curled in on himself, "Loki, look at me."

Loki's eyes were red and puffy with tears glistening over them.

"I'm sorry but I thought we had an understanding. Pants and no crotch. Remember?"

Loki weakly nodded and hiccuped. He hiccuped and it was the cutest thing in the world. I laughed quietly as I pulled him against my chest and held him there running my hands through his hair.

Once he settled a little and stopped crying (and hiccuping, damn hiccuping) he started to moan again and I couldn't figure out why he was moaning until I remembered my hand in his hair and thought it could be worse.

He turned around abruptly and planted a huge, sloppy, messy kiss on me and I laughed through it. When he took a breath of air he moved down o my chest and was leaving trails of kisses. While he was busy doing that, I remembered that I have a life that doesn't just consist of Loki's little apartment and I pulled my phone out to check it.

One message from Pepper wanting to know if I found him.

Two calls and three messages from Clint.

Two calls from Fury.

Two calls and a message from Natasha.

Three calls and some very poorly written messages from Thor.

Three calls and a voice mail from Rhodey.

Five calls from Steve.

Eight calls, a voice mail, and six messages from Bruce.

Wow.

I noticed Loki wasn't touchy-touchy on me anymore so I looked up scared to find out what he was doing only to find him staring at the Arc Reactor.

"You like? Made it myself."

Loki had the same face that most children wear when they spot me in the crowds. You know? The open-mouth, speechless, eyes full of wonder type of thing.

Gently he placed a finger on it and traced it along one of the lines.

"What is it?" Loki somehow managed to get out.

Mentally debating on if I should tell him or not, I decided it couldn't be too bad if he knew.

"It's a miniature Arc Reactor. It keeps shrapnel from piercing my heart. I was captured in Afghanistan by the enemies who had gotten a hold of my weapons and tortured me into making them an even bigger weapon. I respectfully declined and then proceeded to build the Iron Man mach one and kick their sorry asses."

At the end of the little tirade, I looked up at Loki who was now staring at me with some sort of emotion in his eyes I couldn't place at the time and he quickly looked away.

"Can you talk or not?"

"Very...little. Mouth...dry."

I could have kicked myself. Of course Loki's mouth was dry. All he has done for the last day and a half was touch me and sleep. An Omega in heat has to eat certain foods to keep their energy up. Loki was in no shape to cook himself food and calling in an order was hard when you were never sure who would be delivering the food, Alpha or Omega. I can't even be a good Alpha. I'm so fucking useless.

Loki must have seen my change in demeanor because he said, "'S...okay. I'm...a...God."

"That is no excuse for me not feeding you. I'm sorry Loki. I'm not great at this. I'm going to go get you something right now. What do you want. Just note, I'm not great in the kitchen."

"No! No...don't...leave."

"Well, you have to eat. You stay here and I am going to go get you a glass of water first, okay? We'll take it a step at a time."

Loki agreed and I disentangled myself from him and walked to where I assume was the kitchen. On the way there, I called Pepper.

"Oh thank God Tony! You're okay! How's it going? I assume you are still at Loki's."

"I'm fine Pep. I am at Loki's and I just realized that I have no idea the last time he ate was and I have no idea what I'm supposed to feed him."

"Ok, well start with water. That helps with the mo-"

"Yeah I got that part Pepper. Food?"

"Usually Steve gets me a salad with meat in it. Like chicken or steak. Make sure that he has fruit too."

"'Kay. Thanks!"

I hung up on her and searched through the kitchen to find a glass and promptly filled it with water and scurried back to the room to find Loki in a ball again panting.

"Here, drink," he said as he sat down on the bed.

As soon as Loki heard me, he jumped on me and almost spilled the water.

"Missed me that bad Bambi?"

He whined as a response and hugged tighter.

"You need to drink the water. Don't want you dying on me."

"'S...okay. I'm...a.."

"A God. Yeah I got that. But I'm not going to settle until you can form coherent sentences again. "

"Fine," and with that he gulped the entire glass of water down and sat the glass back down on the stand. "There. I can form a sentence now. Kiss me."

I did as instructed and we continued to do so until we heard a knock on the door.


	3. The Stages

Loki and I both jump off of each other startled by the knock. Who would be knocking at _Loki's_ apartment door? Unless, did Loki have a roommate? Nah, why would Loki want a roommate? According to Thor, he has always been pretty reserved. A quick look at Loki and I confirmed that. He had no idea who this mystery knocker was either. I decided I better go answer the door because there was no way I'd let Loki do it. Somewhere in my head I heard a voice that said '_why. It's not like you are really falling for Loki are you?'_ but I ignored it and continued on my way.

"Hey, if you don't mind, I'm kinda busy here an- _Pepper?_"

"Hey Tony. I figured I would save you the hassle of trying to actually cook and bring some food over for Loki. You don't mind, do you?"

"Um, no… A little warning would be nice though Pep. How did you even find out where he lived?"

"You used my computer to find his address, remember? I may not be a genius Tony, but I do know how to check my browsing history."

"_Tony! Come back to bed!_" Loki drawled on from in the bedroom.

"Oh, am I interrupting something?"

"No. He just gets really upset when I am not there. Oh! Do you happen to know from like Thor how long Asgardian heats last? I'd like to know how long I'm going to be staying here."

"Why would I know that? Why don't you just bring Loki back to the Tower? I can have Hap- oh my God, Tony! Are you okay?"

I doubled over in pain as the fire in my stomach suddenly jolted awake again and spread through my chest.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," I gasped out, "Just go get Loki would you?"

"Sure, hang on."

Pepper rushed back into the bedroom where Loki was currently moaning and panting, the salads forgotten on the counter.

"Hey Loki. Nice to meet you. Um, I'm Virginia Potts. Friend of Tony's. Could you walk with me to the doorway for a quick second? Thanks."

Loki hesitantly got up and walked from the bed and followed Pepper to the doorway where I was still doubled over in pain, even if some of it was easing as Loki got nearer.

"What ails you Anthony?"

"Stomach…chest…fire"

"Slow breaths Tony. I'm going to call an ambulance."

"No! Don't! Just take us to the tower. Loki, get some clothes and the salads Pepper brought you."

Loki clearly was upset and confused. Who was Pepper? What is wrong with Tony? Why are we leaving? How long are we staying? I could see all the questions clouding his green eyes but he did as he was told.

Isn't that strange? Loki, the goddamned trickster God, God of Mischief, Lies, and Thievery is actually_ doing as he is told._ Why wasn't he rebelling against me? Why was he so _not Loki_? I feel like this Loki is not at all the same person I met in the tower two years ago and offered a drink. He is so _accepting of all this. _Does he not find it strange that his former enemy is comforting him? Holding him? Forming a _life bond _with him? Loki truly is an enigma wrapped in a puzzle.

Soon enough, Loki was ready to go and Pepper announced that Happy is ready to leave again.

With help, not that I would ever admit it, from Loki and Pepper, we all made it down the stairs and into the town car that Happy was driving. Pepper went in first, then me, and then finally Loki. There was more than enough space in the car but Pepper, acting like the mother hen that she is was basically sitting on top of me. Soon enough, Loki noticed. Loki left out a feral sounding growl and was inching towards Pepper who put her hands up in submission but Loki didn't stop until I put my hand on his chest and told him to cut it out.

The pain in my chest was slowly,_ slowly_, getting better so that I could now sit up straight with no more pain than a slight grimace. In fact, about four minutes into the ride and I could barely feel anything.

"How do you fare Anthony?"

"I 'fare' fine. And how come you can say stuff like 'fare' and 'ail' and it sounds sexy but when Thor says it sounds like an elephant trying to read Shakespeare?"

"Tony! I understand what's going on between you two but can you refrain from talking about it until I adjust?" Pepper proclaimed.

"First of all, no. And second of all, Loki, aren't you supposed to be all clingy and moan-y right now? You know? Your heat?"

"My second phase has passed."

"What does that mean? What second phase?"

"Do you know nothing of the Jӧtun heat? It consists of four phases. The fir-"

"Wait. Let me stop you right there. The _what _heat?"

"The Jӧtun heat. Has Thor not told you yet?" After Loki looked over and saw both of our blank faces he continued. "I was '_adopted_' as my _family_ likes to put it."

Loki spat that word out with so much venom it made both Pepper and I flinch. No more cuddly Loki for me.

"In reality, Odin found me as a babe on the floor of a temple in Jӧtunheim. I was abandoned by my birth father because I was too small to be a prince and left for dead. Ergo, I am Jӧtun which means I have the heat cycles of a Jӧtun. As I was saying there are four stages. The primary stage is where my scent increases to attract my Alpha. This stage lasts a day or two. The secondary stage is the stage you witnessed me in. I become emotionally unstable and need skin to skin contact just about constantly. It is in this stage when my sex drive increases slightly. This stage lasts about a week. The tertiary stage is an intermediate stage. This is when I recharge my energy and prepare for the last stage. The quaternary stage is when my sex drive becomes insatiable. This lasts for about two to three weeks."

"Wait, how long does the third stage last?"

"It depends on how sexually active I was in the secondary stage. So this one should last a few hours. No thanks to you."

"This conversation is getting very awkward to sit through guys," Happy shouted from the front of the car.

"How much longer Happy?" Pepper asked.

"A minute or two."

"Thank God," she mumbled under her breath.

"Okay Loki," I started, "so I have a rule. It's no sex with an Omega in heat unless they are _my_ Omega and we had to have talked about it first. So let's talk. What happens to me if I complete the bond?"

"Well, Anthony, any mortal who bonds with an Asgardian becomes immortal. Or as immortal as we are anyways. But I am not sure that it would be wise for you to complete the bond in my quaternary stage anyhow. Unless, of course, you wish to become a father?"

I am pretty sure if I looked at myself in the mirror I would be pale as a ghost. Luckily for me, I didn't have to come up with a witty remark because Happy chose that moment to announce that we arrived.

Sadly, he wasn't the only one who announced it. Jarvis must have as well.

By the time everyone unloaded out of the vehicle, the entire Avengers crew were there as well as their mates.

Pepper got out first, then me. When I got out, everyone was too busy bombarding me with questions to notice Loki at first. Everyone was distracted by my awesome looks and great style. And then there was Thor.

"BROTHER!" he boomed loud enough the neighborhood dogs started barking, "What brings you to friend Tony's home?"

"Oh. Hey Loki. Nice to see you," the ever-so-polite captain greeted.

"And to you as well. Tony and I have some business to attend to but I will leave Tony to fill you in on the details." Then he turned to me and said, "I'm going to go find the kitchen."

After he walked away, I turned to find everyone's expectant eyes on me, bar Pepper of course.

"Um, well you see, I uh, ran into-"

"Loki and him are in the beginning of a mate bond," Pepper shouted out.

"What was that for? I was explaining."

"Way too much. You were just going to beat around the bush."

I finally looked up at everyone and I was shocked to say the least. Everyone was grinning or laughing. No hate or disgust.

"You two will be _perfect _together," Bruce said.

"Agreed. Would have never guessed it but it works," Natasha stated quickly followed by Clint who said "I guess the sucker is sticking around then huh?"

"I guess so birdie. I guess so.

I looked at Steve who didn't really seem to care and then to Thor who looked stuck between all-consuming happiness and bitter anger. That's new.

"Do you love my brother?"

And there is that damned fire again. I double over trying to catch my breath aware of the commotion around me but not really hearing it. Actually, the next thing I remember is waking up with no shirt on and a similarly dressed Loki laying on top of me on the couch in the living room with all of the residents staring down at us.


	4. The Breakthrough

"What the-"

I woke up from my foggy sleep trying to figure _what the actual hell_ is going on. The last thing I remember is the- oh yeah. The fire in my stomach. After waking up a bit more and verifying I discovered that the mysterious fire is indeed gone. In place of the pain from the fire in my torso there was now the pain of a _very_ heavy God laying on top of me. Half naked. Wait. What?

"Hello Anthony," Loki spoke pulling me out from my daze with a smirk on his face.

"Oh, you're up finally. How are you feeling?_" _

That's Bruce. Who else is here then? I tried to focus my eyes to no success.

"Woohoo. Earth to Tony?"

And that is Clint. When I tried to form words, all that came out was a moan but it got the job done. Loki finally realized he was deflating my diaphragm and got off. I sucked in a harsh breath of air trying to breathe.

"Guess we know who tops now don't we?"

Aaand that was Clint again. Definitely making his presence known. Once I finally got enough air in my system that my lungs deemed appropriate enough for me to speak again I managed to breathe out, "what…happened?"

"Actually, we were hoping you could tell us. One second you are fine and the next you are passed out on the floor with convulsions. It was similar to a seizure but the electrical impulses weren't in your brain. They were in your heart."

Okay. What? I'm supposed to be a genius and I have no idea what is happening to me. The most that I understand is that it has to be something to do with Loki and his crazy Jӧtun physiology.

"Anthony, in the apartment you claimed it felt like you stomach was on fire, correct?"

I managed to nod my head without being claimed by an overwhelming sense of nausea.

"I think I've read about something similar to this in my youth. People who either do not wish for or are scared of a bond often experience immense pain when not directly in contact with their mate. When was the first time you've experienced this?"

My brain was clouded but I tried to work through the fuzziness and come up with the answer. "One week after I first saw you at the coffee shop I could feel it and then it grew worse on my drive from the office to the apartment complex and crippling on the walk up the stairs."

"If what Anthony speaks is true, then this means he is somehow rejecting the bond," Loki's face grew solemn and rejected and at the time, my foggy head couldn't figure out why.

"How long was I out?" I asked to the crowd of people.

"Just a couple of hours," Bruce must've checked his watch because there was a slight pause, "Almost three to be exact."

That response tipped something off in my head.

"_Wait, how long does the third stage last?"_

"_It depends on how sexually active I was in the secondary stage. So this one should last a few hours. No thanks to you."_

Oh.

"Loki, do you remember what we were talking about in the car?"

"Do you think me thoughtless, Anthony? Of course I remember. I also remember what I said and you have, at the most, an hour to decide what you want."

"Um, do we need to have an audience for this?" Loki seemed _pissed_.

"Guys, if this has something to do with Tony's health, I feel like we should all know."

"No worries Doctor. The only thing that ails Anthony is the fact that he has to spend the rest of his life with me." And with that Loki left the living room and based on the look on his face, if he could have slammed the elevator doors he would have.

Everyone's eyes slowly returned to mine after the shock of Loki's actions left their minds.

"What. The. Fuck?" Clint said ever-so gracefully.

"Yeah, Tony want to fill us in?" the suppler Steve asked.

I just looked at Pepper and went to the mini-bar and poured myself a scotch on rocks.

"In the car, Loki was explaining his 'stages of heat'. I don't know how much Thor knows," she paused waiting for an answer from the big blonde.

"The five stages? I know of them."

"Wait. Five stages? He said he had four." That brought me back to the conversation.

"My brother thinks the actual fourth one is false so he never mentions it. It goes increased scent, emotional instability, a pause, then increased sensitivity which usually makes him extremely angry because there is not many people who indulge him in compliments and flattery, and then the last one is where he can get pregnant."

"Your dude brother can get pregnant? What the fuck." I'm getting Clint a dictionary for Christmas.

"Yes. It is because of his magic. He can allow himself to get pregnant if he wishes and he can choose not to get pregnant. I think it is great that my brother will carry Man of Iron's child."

"Hold up Point Break. Loki is not carrying my _child," _there was a collective group of breaths being left out, "and that fourth stage, anger you said, is it possible that he is in that stage now."

"He is most certainly in that stage and I suggest you speak to him now for you only have thirty minutes or so now. I'm sure that Lady Pepper and I can answer the other's questions."

"J, where is Loki?"

"Mr. Odinson can be-"

"Don't call him that Jarvis. Call him Loki. Just Loki for now."

"Noted sir. Mr. Loki can be found in your private library."

"Weird. Thanks J."

"Knock knock. Coming in. Loki, can we have that talk now?"

"Have nothing better to do?"

"Nothing better than talking to a gorgeous, sexy God who's intelligent and wit match mine? No, I guess not."

"Make your jokes, Stark. Pretty soon I'll be leaving for Asgard."

"What jokes?"

"Very funny Stark."

"You really don't think anyone can find you sexy and gorgeous, do you? Let me just tell you that you would see yourself in a completely different light if you could look at yourself through my eyes."

"I can. I have magic. But above magic, I have knowledge and that knowledge allows me to know why you have been in pain. You do not want this. You wish that you could have a different omega. You don't want _me._"

"Well Einstein, maybe you don't know me as well as you thought. It isn't that I don't want this. I definitely don't want a different omega to pamper and protect. But the thing you got the most wrong is that you think I don't want you. I want you more than anything I've ever wanted. I want every part of you. I want to see you smile. I want to hear you laugh. I want to hear you moan. I want you live with me. I want to see you married to me. Loki, I even want you to carry my child, but you know what? All those things scare the crap out of me. I've obviously never been an Alpha before. What if I screw all this up? Like right now for an example. I just told you I wanted you to marry me and we haven't even gone on a date yet." I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "Fuck."

"That is the reason for your pain if you speak the truth. You being scared of the bond is what is causing you pain. Wait. If you speak the truth then- Anthony, you would allow me to bear your child?"

"Absolutely. I never thought I would have a family because I suck at relationships and I lost hope of finding my Omega but I think I wouldn't mind having a little Stark running around. I just don't think that right now is the best time to have a kid, Loki. Like I said, we haven't even had a date yet. I barely know this side of you."

"Okay. I agree. You could be an even bigger pain than I thought after I get to know you. The problem is that I am going to have to go to Asgard for the duration of my last stage."

"No way. A few weeks in Asgard whilst in the most intense part of your heat? Unprotected? Not a chance."

"It will cause both of us pain from being apart so long but if we are near each other, even on the same realm, we will seek each other out and inevitably mate and I would no doubt get pregnant. In Asgard, time passes slower so I will only be gone for a few Midgardian days but I will be in Asgard for a few weeks."

"So you will be in pain for a _few weeks_? No Loki. We can figure something else out."

"No Anthony. I have about five minutes to arrive in Asgard and lock myself in my room. I must leave now. I am sorry but this is what has to happen." And with that he got up and left the room, probably to go up on the roof to call that weird guy Thor always screams at the sky. Who knows? Those Asgardians are fucked up man.


	5. The Investigation

Well, now I am alone. This is fun. At least now I am pretty sure I won't be having those pains again if what Loki said was true. I'm still pretty fucking scared but it seems that Loki is too. Aren't we just the dynamic duo? I should probably go tell the other people that live off of me that Loki has indeed left the building.

"Hey, so Loki went to Asgard for the next couple of days, er well, weeks. I really don't know anymore."

"Do not worry Brother Stark. I will watch over him."

"Brother Stark? That's new."

"You are my brother now. You are the mate of my brother which makes us pack brothers."

"You used the word 'brother' about three times too many PB."

Thor left (after screaming something that sounded suspiciously like 'I'm Dull' into the sky, again) from the roof and that left me in a room full of people clearly expecting me to explain the whole ordeal and, honestly, I'm just not up to it right now.

"Brucie! You are a doctor, right?"

"I'm a _type _of doctor, yes, but I not the kind you are re-"

"Are you a doctor?"

"Yes, Tony. I am a doctor," he said exasperated.

You know? I think I broke Bruce.

"Good. Come with me."

Ten points for me for avoiding the discussion everyone wanted to have with me.

I led Bruce down to the med bay even though we probably weren't going to need anything there. I just wanted to ask a few questions. And you probably guessed it, they are all about Loki.

"What's wrong Tony? I thought Loki said you were fine?"

"Yeah, I am. I just have some questions."

"Hit me."

"What the hell is this between Loki and me?"

"Tony, you know what you are in. You have to accept it."

"Yeah, no. Old river. New stones. I meant are we considered a mate bond yet?"

"Have you, um, consummated your relationship?"

"Aw. Is Brucie blushing? Did I make Brucie blush? To answer your question, no. No we haven't 'consummated our relationship'."

"Then no, you are not technically considered a mate bond. But you definitely are mates Tony. You can't really back out of this one."

"Geeze. That's not why I was asking Ye of Little Faith. I just know how when members of a mate bond are separated for a while, things can get painful, especially when one of them is in heat. I didn't know if that would be me."

"Oh. No. Loki on the other hand is going to be in immense pain."

Ouch. That hurt. My alpha side is screaming about fifty things at me right now. _How dare Bruce for rubbing that in my face. I need to go get Loki. Bruce needs to know that he can't talk about Loki in pain. Loki shouldn't be in pain._ I pull myself out of my thoughts to see Bruce with his eyes wide and his hands bent at the elbows to signify submission. I was confused at first until I realized I was_ growling _at the man.

"Sorry. Sorry Tony."

"What? No, I'm sorry."

"What was that? I didn't realize you cared that Loki was in pain so much. I figured you knew."

"I do Bruce, but that doesn't fix the guilt."

"Sorry." Then there was a pause of awkward silence.

"Okay! Next question. Did Thor happen to tell you more about the Jӧtun heat cycles?"

Okay. Sue me. I'm curious. If Loki's cycle while he is in heat I so much different than a mortal's (that is weird to say), then what about when he is out of heat? A mortal's (yep, still weird) heat is every two months, give-or-take, and lasts like two weeks. Loki's apparently lasts a month in itself. Does that mean the break is longer in between?

"Really, all he supplied was that it is very spontaneous. He said that he can have a month long heat and that is it for a year or he can have back to back heats up to three months in a row. Which sounds extremely pain-" but he stopped short because of my apparent dislike for Loki's pain.

"Yeah. Yeah it does. That is really all of my questions for now Doc."

"Still not a Doctor, Tony. Bye."

I walked down the flight of steps to my own personal lab to think for a while. I sat down on my chair and started to spin around while mulling around in my head. Could I do this? Could I be an _Alpha?_ The term sounded foreign to me. I could no longer be Tony Stark- Genius Billionaire Playboy Philanthropist. Now I am Tony Stark- Genius Billionaire _Mated Alpha to Loki_ Philanthropist. Not nearly as catchy if I say so myself. Which I do.

Another thing that had my head spinning is what could and will happened if I sleep with the guy. He all but said that the first time we sleep together he will more than likely get pregnant but then I heard Thor say that he can control that. Maybe not while he is in heat? If I sleep with him, do I really become immortal? Do I get granted godhood? I thought I was a fucking genius (literally) and now I have more questions than answers. I know that if I start to feel scared again that the pain in my stomach / chest will come back so I have to make myself busy by tinkering. Not too hard. Well, it was until Jarvis announced a visitor.

"Sir, Miss Foster seeks access."

Jane? That's weird. Why would she be here? Thor is in Asgard and he usually takes Jane with him.

"Let her in J."

"Hey Tony."

"Jane." Yeah, people aren't my thing. I can talk nice to them if I need to but I really am _not_ a people person. She nodded and then proceeded to sit down. Just sit there. Like a house plant.

"Um, why are you here?"

"Oh yeah! That's right. I wanted to ask you if you had any questions."

_Yes._

"And you forgot that on the way down? That isn't what I meant anyways. Why are you _here. _On Earth. Or Midgard. Whatever."

"No, I didn't _forget_. I was just thinking about something else. Actually, the same reason I am not in Asgard."

"And that would be…" I prompted her.

"Nope. You don't get to know my dirty secret until you answer my question."

I paused pretending to forget the question that she asked that I didn't really want to talk to _Jane_ of all people about.

"Questions? Loki?" Hearing her say his name felt like there was a knife plunged into me.

"Oh, that. Yeah, not really. Pretty cut and dry if you ask me."

She snorted. "Yeah, right. I know you have questions. Your questions have questions. It'd be faster if you just ask away. I'm your best hope with the two guys gone."

"Okay, I'll humor you. Do you really get immortality?"

"Yes. It isn't as different as it sounds though."

Huh. Immortality for sleeping with sex on legs. I could handle that.

"There I answered your question. You can't help me with the other questions I have. Now spill the juicy gossip!"

"I know more than you might think Tony. Are you sure I can't help you?"

"Okay. Is sex with Th-".

"Okay! No other questions then. I got it. Oh and another thing I wanted to point out is the one-to-one ratio."

"The what?"

"The one-to-one ratio. It is how you can measure time between Asgard and Midgard. One hour is one day in Asgard. One day is one week and one week is one month. After that it starts to get screwed up. Loki's last stage will be three weeks probably but to you, it will only be three days."

"Good to know. Now do I get to hear the gossip?"

Jane stood up from the chair and slowly started walking towards the door. "You are going to have to wait until Loki and Thor get home to know. Bye." And with that she turned around and bolted out of the door.

Damn.

It was right then something struck me. I was too busy before to question it earlier but now I remembered. Why did the guy at the coffee shop say that Loki didn't work there? I rolled over to my computer and found the coffee shop. The Grey Dog café. I went to their webpage and went to the employee's page and scrolled through their names and sure enough, there was no 'Loki' listed. I clicked all of the names to see the pictures that went with them until I found a match. Lot Hansen. _Lot Hansen?_ What the hell? I checked his apartment lease which was also under Lot Hansen and then had Jarvis complete a detailed search on the name 'Lot Hansen' and I found a lot of information. Information I would have never guessed. Social media accounts, degrees, age, public records, and bank statements. Loki could be a _college professor_ in astronomy and old English but he is in so much debt it is crazy he even has that apartment.

This is why I wanted to wait and not just engage in the whole mating before dating sort of thing. Not that money is an issue with me but I wonder what else I don't know?


	6. The News

Bruce and Jane were right. Three days was over in a blink of an eye. Granted, I did spend _a lot _of time in the lab tinkering away. But that's not the point. No, the point is that when Jarvis announced the strange anomaly on the roof, I was more surprised than anything. Regardless, I was glad that my personal elevator was 30% faster than the employee elevator.

I arrived up on the roof in record time to find Thor and Loki walking towards the building.

"Hello Brother Stark. How do you fare?" Thor greeted. I swear I am going to somehow teach that man the benefits of _not_ talking like he was straight out of Othello. I think I could tolerate it if I got to see Loki though.

"Hey Thor. Loki. Heat over?"

"No Anthony. I just convinced Thor of bringing me back here so you can take me," Loki drawled out with as much sarcasm as he could muster. Which talking about Loki, that's a lot of sarcasm. He walked past me and entered the building. What the fuck?

"What was _that_ about?" I asked Thor.

"I think it is about the great news I just laid upon him."

"Which was..?"

"You will find out soon enough," he supplied and continued walking forward into the building leaving me standing out on the roof. Alone. He and Jane are _perfect_ together.

I turned around and went back into the building and asked Jarvis where everyone was while I poured myself a glass of scotch.

"Miss Romonoff, Miss Potts, and Captain Rogers all went out. Destination: Unknown. Doctor Banner is in his room. Mr. Barton is currently on his way home from a mission. Destination: Undisclosed. Mr. Odinson is in his room with Miss Foster and Mr. Loki is currently sitting on the bed in your bedroom."

"_My_ bedroom? Why didn't you just lead him to a guest bedroom?"

"I tried sir but I'm afraid he was very persistent."

As I walked to my room, my head was swimming in thought. It seemed to be doing that a lot lately. _Why was Loki in my room? Why was he persistent about being in my room? What was he doing in my room? Does he want me to come? Should I ask? Wait. It's my fucking room. I don't ask to go to my fucking room. _I approached the door._ I'm not asking to come in but I think I should knock. Right? Maybe just like, knock twice and walk in or something. Yeah. I'll do that._

I knocked twice and walked in to see Loki sitting on the edge of the bed with his legs crossed and face impassive. Overall, a nice sight. He honestly was gorgeous. His sleek black hair with a slight curl at the end that was just the right length. His chiseled cheekbones. His long pale neck. His lean muscles that you could just make out through the fabric of his light green v-neck he has on. His legs that go on forever and never seem to stop and- oh wait. Was he talking?

"Sorry. What was that dear?" I say.

"I _said_ Anthony, I want a baby."

I stood there frozen with my jaw dropped until Loki stood up and pulled me over to the side of the bed muttering something along the way. I took some time to collect my thoughts that happened to scramble all over the bedroom. Eventually I turned to face Loki who still looked like he just asked if I wanted chicken or steak.

"Excuse me? I thought we talked about this. What brought this on? Especially now. I thought it was just the heat talking." I tried to say as casually as possible even though on the inside I was having a Grade A panic attack.

"It was. Then. Now, I have changed my mind. My brother told me his news and I want a baby of my own."

"Wait, Jane's pregnant? That's their news?"

"Why yes, of course. It was their duty to provide an heir to the throne of Asgard now that Odin grows weak. If he were to die, Thor would become king and there needs to be a heir appointed. His son would be the logical explanation."

"How do you know it won't be a girl?"

"The first offspring of any royalty is always male."

"So if we, uh, you know, _had a kid_, it would be a boy. That's... nice. "

"So you are saying you will have a child with me?"

I was getting the tell-tale signs of an oncoming anxiety attack. Sweaty palms, shortened breaths, etcetera etcetera. Luckily, I was saved by Jarvis.

"Sirs, I'm afraid your presence have be requested by Mr. Odinson and Miss Foster. This wish for the both of you to join the rest of the Avengers and their mates in the family room."

"Thanks J. Come on Loki." I stood up hoping to avoid this conversation as quickly as possible but Loki wrapped his hand around my wrist and stood up pulling me closer to him.

"We will continue this talk later. For now, let's make them boil a bit, shall we?"

Before I got the chance to ask what he meant, he pulled me by my shirt and crashed his lips into mine. He continued to pull on my shirt until he was lying on his back on my bed and I was hovering over him. We stayed like that until Thor barged into the room without notice clearly upset that we didn't arrive in the family room. Once he saw us, he murmured a quick apology and his cheeks reddened ferociously. He turned around to leave the room when Loki said, "What's the matter Thor? Don't you wish to join us?"

"I just came in to see if you were planning on granting us your company but I see you are busy."

"Nonsense. We shall join you. Come Anthony. Let us mingle with your comrades."

And with that, Loki was out from under me and fixing his shirt and hair. His face still showed all the signs of a heavy make-out session though. Loki was exactly what I always had looked for in a mate. Witty, fun, intelligent. Loki was kinda perfect for me. Well, technically, I guess he _is _perfect for me, being my mate and all. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a kid with him. But fuck, I've only known him as regular Loki for a month now. We haven't even gone on a proper date yet. To think about having a kid with him seems so strange.

I got up and fixed my hair and clothes but like Loki, I left my face very red and lips puffy. Why not put on a show? We all went out into family room and Loki and I sat down on an oversized chair together while Thor joined Jane but remained standing. I could feel everyone's eyes on me and Loki, who was all but sitting in my lap even though there was more than enough room. Something I learned relatively soon about Loki was the fact that he liked to put on a show. As Thor and Jane were giving their news, which Loki and I already knew, Loki slowly moved so that he was sitting on my lap and his legs were dangling over the side of the chair and he started to not-so-chastely kiss my neck and side of my face. I just sat there not knowing what to do staring straight ahead. Everyone noticed. Of course they did. Two hot dudes sitting on a chair together while one was attacking the other's neck? Anyone would notice.

You could see it in Thor's face that he was getting annoyed as he was telling the group about what would happen during Jane's pregnancy and eventually he broke.

"Brother! Stop that!"

Loki looked up from my neck and his eyes were gleaming with mischief. He left a large purple hickey on my neck right under my jawbone. Exactly the spot that would be nearly impossible to cover with a shirt or jacket collar.

"My apologies. It is just that you interrupted us earlier and we were not finished. Is this right Anthony?"

Steve's cheeks blushed American flag red and Clint said something about being sick before he ran out of the room. I just continued to sit there and look straight ahead. It was a strange feeling I was feeling. Some would call it embarrassment but Tony Stark doesn't get embarrassed. Especially not over some basic kissing. No. It was something else.

Thor said that everyone could leave and when I went to go to my room to go to bed, I realized that Loki never got told where he could sleep. Then I realized something else. _Mates sleep together._ Did he want to sleep in my room? Did he want to sleep in his own room? Was he going back to that apartment?

Loki seemed to read my mind because he asked, "What are the sleeping arrangements? For us?"

"I guess it's up to you." Then something occurred to me. The debt. The sooner he gets out of that apartment, the better. "I'd prefer it if you stay here in the tower though. You can have your own room if you want. Hell, you can have your own _floor_ if you want."

"Is it possible I could have a room near yours? Or at least on your floor?"

"That is very possible. It is also possible to just share a room with me. I mean you can have your own bedroom if you want."

"I wouldn't want to burden you, as glorious as it may be," and he smiled. A real smile, not one of those obviously fake ones. No, a real smile.

"I think I can handle it. It's not like there isn't enough room or anything. You would even have your own walk-in closet."

"It isn't like I have use for a closet."

"Why wouldn't you have use for a closet? Your clothes have to go somewhere. Unless you are more of a dresser person. In which case, I ca-"

"Anthony, stop your rambling. I prefer closets, it is just that the clothes that I am wearing are the only clothes I own. Well this and my work uniform anyways."

"Not anymore. I'll have Jarvis take your measurements and get you clothes. Oh, and speaking of work, when I went back to ask if you were there, the guy didn't even know your name."

"Huh. Must've been a new guy." He walked into my bedroom and sat down on the bed taking off his shirt. Sleeps without a shirt on. Ok. Hopefully, that is the only thing he takes off. On another note, he didn't say anything about his alias. Why does this seem kinda funny to me?


End file.
